|
St. Joe's support continues to grow
By John J. Hopkins Times
More than 200 persons attended an interfaith candlelight prayer service Tuesday at Queen of Martyrs Church as support to keep St. Joseph Hospital open continues to grow, with thousands of people signing petitions urging lawmakers in Albany to reject a recommendation to close the Harlem Road facility.
Catholic Health System officials reported Tuesday that the petition drive had topped 19,000 signatures, with more than 15,000 of them collected on paper petitions at Walden Galleria, CHS facilities and various community sites.
An additional 4,000 electronic signatures and comments have been collected online at a special Web site launched by the health system, www.believecatholic.com.
Statistics indicate the petition drive should surpass 20,000 by the end of the day. At noon Wednesday, the Web site had collected 4,157 signatures. Paper petitions had collected 15,637 as of 9 a.m. Wednesday.
"Our patients, and our community, are telling us in no uncertain terms that St. Joseph is important to them and they do not want to see it closed," said James Millard, president of St. Joseph Hospital. "We will make sure our elected officials in Albany get the message that it is a mistake to close our hospital."
Tuesday's interfaith service at Queen of Martyrs was the second gathering in five days for supporters of the hospital, which was recommended for closing last week by a New York State Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century.
The service included hymns, prayer readings, reflections and a blessing from Father Louis Klein, pastor of Queen of Martyrs Church.
"We're not giving up hope," said Father Klein. "We're placing our trust in God."
Klein compared St. Joseph Hospital's fight for survival to the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament, where David slew Goliath.
"No one expects a smaller hospital like St. Joe's to survive," said Father Klein. "But, we will survive."
Gene Benson of St. Luke's Lutheran Church told the crowd of an instance when he spoke with a patient who was having a rough time in the hospital. Benson related that he did most of the talking, but when he began to leave, the female patient spoke up.
"Sir, I'm so glad you found the time to visit with me today," Benson recalled the woman saying. He sat down and the two chatted for a while.
The woman had a lot of family worries as she was being prepared for surgery. She told Benson that he "brightened" her day. Benson told her that she had done the same for him.
"In some small way, with God's help, I was able to help someone," Benson said. "This is one of the many things we do in spiritual care."
An estimated 500 persons gathered in the front parking lot of St. Joseph Hospital on December 1 for a rally sponsored by the union that represents its nurses, CWA Local 1168.
Dr. Alex Gelfer, president of the St. Joseph Hospital medical staff, used an analogy to justify keeping his hospital open.
"When the wind blows, some people build fences, others build windmills," Dr. Gelfer told Friday's rain-drenched crowd.
With several Harlem Road motorists honking their horns in support as they passed, politicians, union and health system representatives each spoke out against the commission's report.
Elaine Lopez, who has worked at the hospital as a nurse for almost 20 years, said that closing St. Joseph could mean the difference between life and death for some who are in dire need of emergency service.
"They say it's only eight minutes away to the next hospital,' Lopez said. "Have you ever gone up Harlem Road during rush hour? (Pa- tients) will die on the way."
Additional rallies are planned, including two on Monday. The Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce hosts a community rally at 9 a.m. December 11 at the Millennium Airport Hotel, 2040 Walden Avenue.
Chamber President Debra S. Liegl called the facility a "vital part" of the community.
"To lose this hospital would adversely affect its residents and its businesses both in the quality of health care and economically," Liegl said. "It is a necessary part of our community and we need to show our support for St. Joseph Hospital."
The health system will host a candlelight vigil December 11 in front of St. Joseph Hospital at 7 p.m.
"Every day, more and more people are stepping forward asking how they can help save St. Joseph Hospital," said Millard. "We are encouraged by the outpouring of support."
Governor George Pataki on Tuesday accepted the report's findings and has asked the New York State Legislature to also accept the report.
The Legislature has until December 31 to vote on the report. To defeat the report, both houses must reject the report in its entirety by December 31, or the report automatically becomes law.
| 
